The Iron Thread
by Akuma no Zanna
Summary: Taken into the Land of Iron and trained as a samurai, Kinzoku lives to serve his country. But during an expedition to Taki, he is mistaken for a criminal and questions begin to arise. (A family fic. starring an old criminal, a mysterious jinchūriki, a dead kunoichi, and a samurai with no past. Full summary inside.)


The Iron Thread

Summary: Taken into the Land of Iron and trained as a samurai, Kinzoku lives to serve his country. But during an expedition to Taki, he is mistaken for a criminal and questions begin to arise. With a war on the horizon, a mystery of untold faith and love is ready to be revealed, but history is never hidden if it holds unwanted secrets. Will Kinzoku find the true meaning to his past, or will he be corrupted from the shadows that dwell within it. (A family fic. starring an old criminal, a mysterious jinchūriki, a dead kunoichi, and a samurai with no past.)

AN: And it seems that I will be doing two stories at the same time. What a _great _idea (please tell me you hear the sarcasm). Sorry if you don't like stories with OCs in them (I seem to be doing this a lot), but it's what I got. Also, I'm an amateur writer (probably can't even call myself that), but I'm trying (and failing along the way T^T). So…any suggestions or comments are welcomed (criticism as well). Thanks!

Warnings: A bit language, and there may be some blood in future chapters.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Any OC belongs to me (as well as the plot for this story).

* * *

Prologue: A Cry in the Dark

A petite woman with dark skin shuddered as the wind howled mercilessly in her ears. The strong invisible walls of nature were pushing and pulling at her already weakening body; making every movement for the lady a painful struggle. She panted heavily as she stumbled through the deep, freezing snow; the white ice reaching the middle of her thighs. She shivered uncontrollably, teeth chattering and ligaments going numb. She breathed in another haggard breath, chest heaving as she looked up. Her deep, silvery eyes searched for a certain monument in the frozen world.

Her eyes practically lit up when she spotted the enormous, blue marble statue. Her pace quickened and she smiled as if the heavens have opened up for her. She reached the large stone man who was dressed in exquisite armor and held a sheathed sword, just as detailed as his armor, in front of him. A bridge, made of the most largest storm-blue sea-stones ever to be seen in the world, expanded from the statue, over a great fissure in the snow covered earth, and met an ageing gate. The gate, compared to its neighbors, was very plain. It was made of gray, cracked wood and ice blue agate. But all together, the Samurai Bridge was a sight to be seen.

The woman gasped at the magnificent display in front of her, if only she had the time to truly admire the statue, but alas, her life was soon to end and she still had a job to complete. She carefully brought out a small bundle of moth-eaten blankets, her face glowed in joy when it moved just so softly, yet that joy dissipated to anguished pain. She slowly set the small bundle down, right under the giant statue in hopes that the carved stone would protect it from the harsh weather that was surly to come, and stood up. She looked at the statues face, her eyes meeting the stones; "Please protect him."

She felt a bit silly asking for help from a stone carving, but it seemed like the most appropriate thing to do in her current situation. She bowed deeply, and turned around. Her beautiful white hair whipped at her already tear-stricken face as she looked into the wind. She held her gaze at the scenery before her, the white snowy mountains, the gray snow speckled sky, and the gorgeous full moon. Her face was set in cold determination; her current thoughts were rolling around in her head. She took in a deep breath and then began her trek down the treacherous mountain she had just climbed up.

Never once did she look back.

* * *

"_Then come the wild weather, come sleet or come snow, we will stand by each other, however it blow."_

_-Simon Dach_

The Iron Country was an isolated place. Being cut off from most other civilizations, it was almost like Water Country, only far harder to get to. The Land of Iron was directly above Lightning Country, but a half circle of treacherous mountains kept most of the Lightning people away, just as it kept other people, such as bandits or nuke-nin away.

If one were to look up at the great mountains of Iron Country, their vision would be engulfed by white and gray. The stony gray granite mountainside would tower over any who would look at it; the mountain itself was almost ten meters in height. The snow that blanketed the rocky sharp stones that jutted from the earth could be just as deep as the mountain was tall. It was crystalline white in color yet was below freezing in temperature. The mountains not only served as the boarders of the Land of Iron, but also as a great wall that repelled people from the snowy lands. And if the mountains didn't intimidate people away, the terrible environmental conditions did.

If one were to travel to the home of the Iron people, they would need at least one of the citizens or a samurai as a guide to get there. The Village of Iron could be found above and beneath the famous mountain, Sanrō, otherwise known as the Three Wolves. But before one could reach the Three Wolves, he would have to travel across Sabaku Kōri, or Desert Ice, a large expanse of frozen water covered by snow. It was the desert of the Iron Country, cold enough to kill a man and long enough to make one become delusional. Before entering the desert a deep fissure broke the earth in two. Over the fracture, a bridge built with expertise of a professional, followed by a grand gate and beginning with a large statue. The Samurai Bridge, a monument that had been built long ago, at the beginning of the country's history, for the fallen samurai of their land. The bridge met the last end slopes of the wall of mountains. This was most of the geography of the Iron Country. On the other side of the hazardous desert, a forest of bone white leaf-less trees covered a crisp white hill. The Forest of Bones, or Hone no Mori, was more dangerous than the desert. The trees were strangely brittle; if a single tree were to be destroyed glass like shards would begin to fall, hurting anyone nearby. Sometimes the larger trees could break and actually crush any living creature nearby.

In all, the Land of Iron was not a place to be underestimated or to travel into unprepared. If asked why live here to one of the local citizens of the Iron Village they would respond back with why not. Those who live in the foreboding land know it as well as the back of their hands. Their ancestors have been living in the snowy mountain terrain since before the time of the ninja, they grew accustom to the difficult life they had to live and thrived in it. Their village was just as healthy as any other.

The Iron Village was built in four separate segments. The three communities that were built underneath the Three Wolves were dedicated to the civilians and retired military or samurai. It was full of homes, schools, shopping and trading centers, community parks and such, as well as places to work. The fourth that was built on top of the mountain was dedicated to the villages military and samurai. It also had a grand office for the leader of the village, currently a man by the name of Mifune, built directly in the center of it all.

The people of the Iron Village were actually quite content with their enclosed life style, slightly being hermits to the world outside of their mountainous walls, and enjoyed the fact that they had no need to deal with the wars that waged beyond their walls. Being a neutral country did have its benefits. Though at times the citizens or even the samurai would travel out into the Elemental Nations, either to get supplies or on a mission, they always returned to their homeland.

Everyday the people lived in peace, but sadly, that peace might not last.

* * *

A man walked at a brisk pace across the rocky path. He was dressed in fine gray plate-armor, a thick black body suit underneath, with gray platted boots. A gray armored helmet with short blood-red horns sat on top his head while four long katana encased in dark brown sheath were strapped tightly to his sides. His mask that usually covered his whole face was also strapped to the brown belt that hung at his waist. With the mask down his face could be seen by all.

The man had very sharp brown eyes; the small wrinkles that were just beginning to appear on his tan face made the man look older than he actually was. The straight black hair that stuck out of the corners of his helmet just barely touched his shoulders and the top of his brow. He was very plain looking, but his skills as a samurai made up for that.

The short brown striped horns on top of his helmet showed his status as the Captain of the Boarder Division. This division was the only division dedicated to patrolling the boarders of the Iron Country. They had around 2,000 trained samurai in neatly organized groups with about ten people per group. They had a dangerous job, traveling and camping a bout on the icy plains and frozen forests of the country, all while making sure that their boarders haven't been crossed by any unknown bodies.

Suddenly, the man turned a sharp corner and was now facing a large, five-story building that was styled like a Japanese dojo. The roof was made of a beautiful dark wood while the walls were made of light brown wood with stark white paper. This was the military's office building. The Captain walked up to the buildings large doors and calmly opened them. Inside was quite plain for it to be the eye of the village. White washed walls, padded floors, and simple brown furniture was the basic components of the interior.

He walked to a small stairway in the corner of the room and quickly trotted his way up to the fifth floor. Opening two double doors, he reached his Generals office.

* * *

"Sir! A disturbance has occurred on boarder 3-24, the sensor of Team 4 has picked up on two bodies, an adult and a child from the signatures. Permission to send my men to investigate?" The Captain stood before his General with a straight back, determined face, and his hand stiffly placed in a salute by his brow.

Mifune glanced at the Captain who stood before him; a placid look on his face while a graying eyebrow was raised in question. The General stood up from his seat at his desk, thank Kami for the excuse that had been given to him so that he could get away from his horrid paperwork, and walked to the wide window that was behind him.

"You are asking permission for this? I distinctively remember promoting you to Captain of the Boarder Division because you were a natural leader who could command his soldiers without any guidance." The Captain flinched but nodded and put a hand to his throat, "Commence investigation; take two trackers and four trainees along with four experienced samurai. The others will continue their patrols; contact me when you reach the signatures. I will be there shortly." The short static clicks of his radio echoed in the room as he turned around.

Before leaving he looked at his General over his shoulder. The legendary samurai stood at the window, gazing out at the snow-coated land of his country. "Mifune…can you sense it?"

Mifune nodded, "Of course, Ginkuma, it's almost as noticeable as it is invisible." The Captain nodded and left the room. Mifune stared at the dimming sky and sighed, "The calm before a storm, huh? Let us hope we all survive and appreciate the time we have now." He turned back to his desk and dolefully began his tiresome work, "Kami, give us enough time to prepare."

* * *

The sharp familiar crackle made Ginkuma pause for a moment before quickly pressing the small button that was connected to his radio. "Code name Silver, respond?" Short breaths transmitted from his radio before, "Code name Hunt, responding to Silver. We have reached our destination at King. The large chakra source has fled past the mountains. Orders, sir?"

Code names as well as places weren't very necessary in the Iron Country, hardly anyone would try to infiltrate the desolated land, but everyone used them despite that fact. It helped gain experience with faked names and also prepared those who would be taking a mission outside the boarders. King referred to the Samurai Bridge.

"Send one trackers and two samurai after the chakra source. I can see King and will be there in five. Take care of the smaller source." A rustling sound came from the radio, suggestion that Hunt had nodded, "Yes, sir."

Ginkuma took his hand from his throat and pushed chakra into the soles of his shoes as well as his feet. With a burst of chakra he slid across the snow and ice, reaching the bridge in record time. Ice or Snow Sliding was very similar to Water and Wall Walking. It allowed you to stand on top of ice without slipping and on snow without sinking. Then, while moving in away an ice skater would, you could easily slide across most surfaces. The chakra would help boost your momentum, making you slide faster.

He slowly decreased the stream of chakra that he was running to his feet to a small trickle, but still had enough incase of an ambush. His ears perked at the cry of…a child? He walked through the open gates of the Samurai Bridge and closer toward the Samurai Statue. The closer he got, the louder the crying became.

One of the trainees; a plain girl who was dressed in a more form fitting, yet similar to his, outfit; held in her arms a small bundle withered like a worm. Two dark skinned and chubby hands grasped desperately at thin air. Ginkuma walked up to her and the other three trainees who had formed a half circle around her, "Didn't I order you to take care of it?"

The four green samurai jumped in surprise and quickly settled themselves into a straight line, undoubtedly in the wrong order. The girl shifted uncomfortably as their Captain stared sharply at them. His eyes landed directly on her and she held in a shudder. Gathering her courage she caught her Captains gaze, "He is just a child, barely a month of age. Killing a child who hasn't even done anything is the murder of an innocent."

Ginkuma looked at the girl, his eyes slanted in fake anger. Oh, how he loved to torture the new little kiddies. "Sir, please leave them alone. It scares the hell out of people when you glare at them. Plus, the little creature is practically screaming its head off with the intent you're spilling."

Ginkuma sighed and spotted the rest of the group. He had sensed the other tracker and samurai, who had been searching around the bridge, as well as the others who had gone into the mountains, return. He scoffed at the dumbfounded looks the newbies were giving him. "Snow, why ruin my fun? I get stiff being so strict and cold as a captain."

Snow, or Yukimaru, had graduated with him and Mifune from the Iron Academy. They were all on the same team when they graduated. Though they were all still friends, they had split up when choosing which skill area they wanted to focus on and hardly ever got together anymore.

"No excuse, now take the damn thing and make it stop crying." The Captain rolled his eyes immaturely and plucked the bundle from the girl's arms. He carefully cradled the small babe in his arms and the child instantly silenced. An awkward air rose around the bridge and Ginkuma began feeling uncomfortable with the stares he was receiving.

He frowned in annoyance but kept his head on, "Any notice of the other signature?" The three who had gone into the mountains shook their heads, "We found a trail and it went more into Lightning Country. We doubted that we would be able to go any further and back tracked to find any clues. There was nothing." Ginkuma nodded, "Where was the…child found?"

"It was tucked under the statue, probably for protection. Though it was deathly cold when we…picked it up. The girl is a medic and saved the childs life. Though if we had come any later, it would have been dead." Their Captain nodded and was about to give orders when the trainee girl yelled out suddenly, "What is wrong with you people? You can't treat a child like a thing! And it obviously is a he, not an it!"

The elder samurai seemed surprised, they hadn't noticed that they were talking about the child more as an object that a human, it was just instinct. There were no benefits to get attached to the unknowns. Especially one that was so defenseless. Ginkuma blinked, "We should get back to the village. It isn't good for a child to be out in the cold for so long."

* * *

"There is an orphanage in the western village that has a slot that is ready for him. I will have a trainee dro-" Ginkuma put his hand up, "I can take him." Mifune looked up at his old friend in astonishment. "Ginkuma…have you become attached to the boy?" The Captain shrugged his shoulders, "Depends if you want the truth or a lie."

Mifune looked back at his papers, "Its about high time for you to retire. Just so coincidently, there is a dojo not to far from the same orphanage that is looking for a buyer. Are you interested?" Ginkuma thought for a moment, was he really going to do this because of a mere baby. He thought back to when he was racing back home with his group. The child had woken up from his slumber and had looked into his eyes.

The child had the oddest eyes that the Captain had ever seen; red sclera's with pupil less green irises. It felt like a sign. "I wont adopt him. But I do want to guide him." Mifune grinned and pulled out a scroll. "As you wish."

* * *

AN: Oh. Wow. This is probably the most thought out thing I have ever written. Not longest, but it definitely took the icing from my brain. My respect for authors has been raised. Whoa. Okay…up coming stuff, I have another story that I hope will be posted soon. This one has Minato in it. Yay! I will be deleting Broken Blood once that one is up. Hope you enjoyed!


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